Jealousy
by Sianiiwolf
Summary: Jealousy strikes at the worst times. When Barley goes to visit an old friend of his, Ravenpaw might not handle it well.. Especially when this friend seems to have something against him. Meanwhile, Ravenpaw is trying to sort out his own feelings, but whatever he tries to do seems to only push Barley away. Will the two work things out, or will the former friends drift apart forever?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all. This is a collaboration story with Wolfiswolf. Every chapter is written by both of us. This story will feature gay pairings. If you don't like, then do not read, plain and simple. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not in anyway shape or form own Warriors. Yet.**

Warm, mid-morning sunlight shone down over the landscape, turning the tips of the barley stalks from golden-gray to a bright yellow. A cool breeze rustled the leaves on the few trees dotted here and there, and a few clouds floated across the sky.

Ravenpaw shifted slightly on the fence he was resting on, raising his head to look out over his domain. The many fields of the farmland lay quiet and peaceful as always, and the black cat gave a proud smile at his territory.

He twitched an ear at the sound of approaching pawsteps, and turned to see his friend Barley padding up to him, a pair of mice hung from his jaws by their scrawny pink tails. Ravenpaw let out a purr of welcome as the black and white tom leaped up to settle beside him on the fence.

"Good hunt?" He greeted, flicking his white-tipped tail at Barley's catch.

"I'd say so," he replied, pushing one of the mice toward Ravenpaw. "Here. I caught it for you."

Ravenpaw mewed his thanks and dug into the meal. Barley did the same and the two toms finished their prey in a few rapid gulps. After he had finished, Ravenpaw stretched, licking the last traces of mouse from his whiskers before standing up on the narrow slab of wood. Barley watched him do this before slipping off the fence again.

"Where're you going?" Ravenpaw called after his friend, his bright green eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Going to visit someone," Barley called back over his shoulder. "I'll be back later this evening." With that, the black-and-white tom turned and made his way through the long grass, away from Ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw nodded, but couldn't suppress a pang of longing as he watched his friend make his leave. He began to wonder why, but his thoughts were interrupted by a yawn. Sighing, he layed back down on the fence, his eyes locked on the spot where Barley had disappeared. After a few minutes he closed his eyes, attempting to push his wonders of Barley and his whereabouts to the back of his mind, but they kept coming back. Gnawing at his brain like a termite on a tree trunk. The black tom let out a hiss of frustration and hopped off the fence, deciding to do a perimeter check.

He avoided the path Barley had taken, although a part of him itched to follow, instead heading toward the barn. He saw nothing unusual and renewed the scent markings, his black-and-white pelted companion lingering at the back of his mind.

He kept himself busy with this all afternoon, wandering around the territory and letting his thoughts swirl. He thought about all sorts of things, although every one of them were centered around Barley.

What puzzled him most was that he couldn't figure out why. Barley was most certainly his closest and best friend, and had been since he'd met him. But 'best friends' didn't explain the strange fluttering of his heart every time they saw each other, or shared prey, or fell asleep cuddling, did it?

He couldn't say for sure, but what he did know was that he was determined to figure it out.

He was pacing around the barn when Barley arrived, slipping in through the hole in the wall. Ravenpaw stopped at the sight of him, mewing a greeting.

Barley returned it with a nod, then settled down in one of the hay piles to sleep. Ravenpaw reluctantly followed, settling down close to him. He rested his head on his forepaws and let the sound of Barley's soft breathing lull him to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Ravenpaw yawned, blinking the sleepiness out of his eyes. For a moment, the black tom was tempted to lay his head back on his paws, but his mind changed when he realized that Barley wasn't around.

 _Did he go to see his 'old friend'?_ He thought with a stab of jealousy. Ravenpaw flinched at the harshness of his own thoughts, shaking his head and pushing himself off the sweet-smelling hay. He decided it would be a good time to hunt, and in a hunter's crouch, began silently circling a certain pile of hay in the barn that had the scent of mice coming off in waves.

Ravenpaw launched himself into the golden pile, his claws finding contact with two unsuspecting mice. He said a quick thanks to Starclan before scooping the two still-warm gray mice up with his jaws, satisfied with his catch.

As the young tom made his way over to the fence (His favorite resting place), Barley pelted through the long field of grass. Ravenpaw immediately dropped the mice, his top concern becoming Barley's safety, and rushed to meet him. "Is everything alright!?"

The slightly older black-and-white tom came to a halt in front of Ravenpaw, who looked absolutely petrified. After taking a few moments to regain his breath, Barley finally managed to pant out, "Everything's fine… Just forgot… to tell you where I was going. Didn't want you to freak out."

"It's a bit too late for that." Ravenpaw's tone had a harsher ring to it than he had intended, but he continued. "Where were you, Barley? What if a dog had gotten loose, and I didn't know where you we-"

"Ravenpaw, relax. I'm fine, I can take care of myself. Why are you so worried about me, anyways? I'm older than you!" He paused to examine his friend. "And anyways, I wasn't in a place where I could have gotten hurt. I was just at my friend's."

There it was again. 'My friend's _.' I thought I was your friend_. "Who is this friend you keep talking about, anyways? Why am I just hearing about them now?" Ravenpaw sat on his haunches, curling his tail over his paws.

"He came back from a trip he had taken with his humans. He's a kittypet." Barley sat as well, licking his paw pad and bringing it over his ear. "And his name is Monty. Trust me, he's really nice. Maybe you can come with to meet him sometime."

Ravenpaw tried his best to smile at Barley as he nodded. "Sure, I'd love to meet him," he managed to force through his clenched teeth.

Barley didn't seem to notice the forced-ness behind Ravenpaw's words as he beamed, his eyes lighting up with joy. "Great! I can't wait to introduce you two!"

The black tom just melted at the sight of how happy his friend was, and he couldn't seem to stop himself from letting his fake smile morph into a real one. "Sounds perfect," he murmured almost dreamily, unable to pull his emerald-green gaze away from Barley's bright yellow eyes.

His focus was interrupted, however, when his comrade stood up and stretched. "How about tomorrow? He's expecting me to be over at about sunrise."

"Are his twolegs asleep then? I've heard twolegs sleep in until sundown sometimes. They're such strange creatures," Ravenpaw concluded, shaking his head.

Barley purred in amusement. "Yeah, his twolegs let him run around sometimes too. He might stop by the barn sometimes, just to let you know. So if you see any brownish-orangish cats walking around, please refrain from attacking." Barley playfully head-butted Ravenpaw's shoulder.

"Will do," he replied, hoping he sounded more enthusiastic than he felt. He opened his mouth to add a few more words when the smell of blood drifted by his nose. Ravenpaw jumped. "Barley, I forgot about the mice!"

"Mice?" He tilted his head, curiously watching Ravenpaw as the younger cat glared at a small red spot on the ground. "I hate to break it to you, Raven, but your mice are gone."

"I can see that. Follow me, we're going hunting." The black tom sprang through the field, leaving Barley behind.

"That's not fair, you got a head start!" Barley called, chuckling as he raced to try to outpace Ravenpaw. Eventually, Ravenpaw slowed down enough to allow him to catch up, a victorious smirk on his face. "You've always been so fast, that wasn't a fair race!"

Ravenpaw purred at the compliment. "Maybe you should eat more rabbits. Then you might become as fast as one."

"Wait, really? I didn't know you could get faster from what you ate. No wonder kitty-pets are so slow!"

Ravenpaw glanced up at the sky with a look that screamed 'Starclan help me'. He turned his head towards Barley, an amused yet disappointed look on his face. "I was joking!"

Barley slowed down, flicking his tail tip. "I knew that." The older tom then sank into a hunter's crouch, and before Ravenpaw could reply, had managed to catch a mouse. "Here's one."

Barley had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Ravenpaw shot after a dark gray blur in the leafy grass. "And here's two," he said in turn, his words muffled by the vole's fur. "Let's head back to the barn now."

The two made their way across the tall field of grass again, the sun high in the sky. Both settled down in a pile of hay next to each other, their pelts just mere inches apart. Ravenpaw was tempted to move closer to his friend, but was puzzled as to why. It's not like there's any difference. I'd just be closer to him, big deal. Ravenpaw felt his heart thump and decided to focus on something else. "Nice catch earlier."

"Thanks, you too, Ravenpaw!" Barley dragged his attention from his mouse, shooting Ravenpaw a determined, yet teasing look. "And next time, I will win that race."


	3. Chapter 3

Ravenpaw awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. Pale pre-dawn light seeped in through the few holes in the barn's wall, turning his black pelt a milky gray. He turned to see Barley sitting beside him, giving himself a quick wash.

"Sleep well?" His friend asked him, casting a glance at Ravenpaw.

"Very." Ravenpaw replied through a yawn, hauling himself to his paws before stretching out each of his hind legs in turn.

Barley smiled before padding over to the entrance to the barn, poking his head out. He looked around, jaws open to taste the air.

Ravenpaw was about to ask him what he was doing, but then he remembered that they would be visiting Monty that morning. Lovely.

For a split second, he wondered if Barley had forgotten their plans. If that was so then Ravenpaw could put off his anxieties about the meeting for longer. But his hopes were soon crushed as Barley called over his shoulder to him. "C'mon Raven! We don't wanna be late!"

His black-and-white friend was slipping through the gap now, the black tip of his tail disappearing.

Muttering curses under his breath, Ravenpaw gave a his pelt a swift shake before following him.

The pair engaged in their usual morning routine, checking over the borders and renewing the scent marks before they set off for Monty's. Ravenpaw stood back and let Barley take the lead. He told himself it was because he knew the way, but even so he couldn't seem to keep his gaze off his friend's surprisingly muscular hindquarters.

Barley lead them out of the farmland, towards the hilly area that made up Highstones. Ravenpaw recognized the place immediately from his memories of visiting there way back when he was a ThunderClan apprentice. At first he wondered if Monty and his twolegs lived near the sacred place, but Barley eventually lead him off the trail when they reached the Thunderpath. The black-and-white tom turned and began walking alongside it a safe distance away, and Ravenpaw had no choice but to follow.

They traveled alongside the smooth path for a while before Barley swerved and crouched down at the edge, looking both ways multiple times. Ravenpaw flinched when a monster screamed past, but Barley didn't react. Ravenpaw felt his eyes narrow in suspicion as he wondered just how often his friend had done this before.

At last a safe spot opened up and Barley raced across, Ravenpaw matching him pace for pace. Once they were safely on the other side, Barley gave his pelt a shake. "Nothin' to it." He mewed before setting off again.

Ravenpaw let out a quiet hiss of frustration and padded after him.

They eventually reached a small dip in the land. From the top, Ravenpaw peered down and spied a well-sized twoleg den. A large, silver-gray monster sat outside, the sun glinting off its hard exterior and flashing in Ravenpaw's eyes. The brightness made him squint.

Barley waited only a moment to get a quick look of the terrain before pelting down the slope. Ravenpaw panted as he managed to keep up. His patch-pelted comrade streaked right past the den and rounded a corner, diving for cover under a few bushes near the back of the twoleg nest.

Ravenpaw squeezed in beside him, a questioning look on his face. "What are we doing here?"

Barley cocked an eyebrow at him. "Uh..visiting Monty, remember..?"

Ravenpaw sighed. _He's so cute, yet so clueless.._ The thought flashed through his mind before he had a chance to stop it. Choosing to promptly ignore it, he gestured with his tail to their leafy hiding place. "Not here as in the twoleg nest. Here as in the bush."

"Oh." Barley flashed a sheepish smile, and for some reason Ravenpaw felt his face heat up. "This is where I've been waiting for Monty every time I visit. He has to wait until his twolegs get up so they can let him out. Luckily for us," He angled his ears toward the nest. "His twolegs are creatures of habit."

Ravenpaw snorted, not quite believing it. But he didn't voice his objections, just simply sat there, waiting for a cat that he didn't even want to see. But he knew it would hurt Barley's feelings if he refused. So he sat. And he waited.

And waited.

Ravenpaw watched the sun creep steadily over the horizon, his tail tip twitching in agitation. A thousand thoughts and anxieties raced through his head.

 _I wonder what Monty will be like?_

 _Does Barley like him more than me?_

 _Why am I so panicked!?_

The black tom sheathed and unsheathed his claws nervously, resisting the urge to run as fast as he could back to the barn, to drown his feelings in a warm mouse, or perhaps a plump rabbit.

But he still couldn't bring himself to hurt his friend, so he made himself sit still.

After what seemed like forever, the back door to the twoleg nest slid open and a reddish-brown cat slid out, stalking proudly across the grass toward their hiding place. Monty. Ravenpaw realized with a stab of terror. The tom had a muscular form, with sleek reddish brown tabby fur and broad shoulders. A pair of steel blue eyes gleamed with fierce pride and intimidation, deeply contrasting with the green collar around his neck, a symbol of his soft lifestyle.

The black tom couldn't resist sliding a glance at Barley. There was a wide smile on his face, yellow eyes glowing with welcome. This hurt his heart more than he cared to admit.

But there was nothing to be done about it.

Monty was crouching near the bush now. "Barley?" He called, his nose twitching with awareness. "Who's that you've got with you?" There was an unfriendly edge to his tone that made Ravenpaw's fur stand on end.

Barley poked his head out from under the bush. "Hey Monty! I brought someone who wants to meet you." He slid out from under the bush, waving his tail to beacon Ravenpaw.

What else could he do?

He followed him.

Monty was, in a word, gigantic.

He was twice, nearly three times Ravenpaw's size; this particular trait was not off putting to most, but instead only added to his imposing bearing.

"Ravenpaw, this is Monty. Monty, meet my roommate, Ravenpaw." Barley introduced the two, a happy smile spread across his muzzle.

Ravenpaw tried not to let the fear show in his eyes, dipping his head politely as he scooted ever so slightly closer to Barley. "Hello."

Monty returned his greeting with a nod before turning to Barley.

"Sorry to make you wait. My twolegs slept in later than usual this morning."

Ravenpaw didn't hear Barley's response, he was too busy studying Monty. His eyes trailed over him, from the shape of his ears to the striping pattern on his pelt, it all seemed so eerily _familiar_ to him!

"E-excuse me, Monty, but… do I _know you_?" Ravenpaw blurted out, unable to keep the question inside him, and apparently unable to let it come out in a dignified way.

Monty looked at him for a moment before letting out a rumble of laughter from deep within his chest. "Most likely not, Ravenpaw. I'm sure I'd remember crossing paths with someone like _you_." He offered Ravenpaw a broad smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Ravenpaw gave an awkward nod, dropping the subject. But even so, he continued to wonder about Monty and his familiarity.

He needed to be alone. He needed to think. And he needed to do it now.

He could not begin to imagine why, but he suddenly knew that Monty was not to be trusted. He felt it in his gut.

Thinking quickly, he opened his mouth and the scent of squirrel flooded his jaws.

"Hey guys, I think I'm gonna go hunt for a bit. I'll meet up with you again later."

"Okay. See you later." Barley stood up and brushed his muzzle against Ravenpaw's in farewell. The gesture filled him with an indescribable warmth.

As he turned away, Ravenpaw made a silent vow:

He would find out what it was about Monty that scared him so much. He would find out why he seemed so familiar.

How? He couldn't begin to guess.

But the determined tom was on a mission. And by Starclan, he would make sure he succeeded.


	4. Chapter 4

Ravenpaw let out a huff of indignation as he watched Barley and Monty discuss how their lives were. He especially began to seethe when Monty murmured, "I've missed you," in Barley's ear, then shot the raven-furred tom a smug look.

"I've missed you too, Monty. Maybe you could come hang out with Ravenpaw and I for a few days?"

The black tom sat up, shooting Barley a glare that the white-and-black tom didn't seem to notice. "Don't you think that's a bit rushed, Barley? I only just met Monty today, and you know how I feel about meeting new cats," he muttered in a quiet, curt tone.

Barley frowned for a second, his tail starting to droop, but then he brightened again. "This would be a great opportunity for you to make another friend, Raven!" He then turned to the larger orange-brown cat. "What do you say, Monty?"

With an almost victorious grin, he replied, "I'd love to. I have a feeling we're going to be great friends, _Raven_."

* * *

Ravenpaw swept his cool green eyes across the field of grass before him. The wind brushed it ever-so-gently, causing it to twist and sway. He was perched atop his beloved fence once again, but this time, there was no Barley coming to sit next to him. No, he had been too busy talking to Monty in the barn to even notice when Ravenpaw had slipped away.

Just remembering the scene made the cat want to run off, to never return, and to see how his black and white friend would react. But he would never, could never do something so heartbreaking to Barley, so instead he leapt off the fence and decided to go for a short walk, perhaps even go hunting.

"Ugh, stupid Monty… ruining everything," he muttered to himself as he padded through the long winding grass.

 _Maybe if Barley wasn't so lost in his eyes then_ -NO.

Ravenpaw shoved the thought out of his head, tempted to curl up under a tree and think. And he did, as he stumbled over to an old oak that grew on the farm, not paying attention to where he was stepping. Due to his lapse in attention, his forepaw caught on a rough, knotted old tree root, and he let out a yowl of alarm as he went sprawling in the dirt.

Ravenpaw groaned, lifting his head up from the dust and turning to look down at his paw. He frowned at it's condition and wriggled it free, letting out a sharp hiss of annoyance as his claw snagged on a small twig. He rose up and tried to put weight on it. A sharp flash of pain shot through it on the first few steps, but eased a bit as he kept going. And so he swallowed the pain and hobbled back to the barn, intent on taking a nice nap in the hay piles.

He was about half way there when his head bumped into something. Already in a bad mood, he whipped his head up, glaring daggers at the figure in front of him. "Hey! Watch where..you're.." He trailed off as he suddenly recognized the tom he'd run into.

It was Monty.

The larger brown and orange tom stumbled backwards, a surprised but satisfied look etched onto his face. "Well, well, well. If it isn't _Raven_. What'cha doin' here kitty? Thought you went off to brood."

Ravenpaw's anxiety swiftly turned to white hot fury. "Don't call me Raven. And..I just went off to hunt, that's all."

His heart sank as Monty's steel blue eyes narrowed in undisguised suspicion. "Where's your prey, then?"

"There wasn't anything to catch. There's not a mouse moving out there." Ravenpaw mewed, thinking quickly as he waved his tail toward the place from which he'd come. He figured this was at least halfway true, as he hadn't seen nor scented any prey while he'd been ranting and blowing off steam.

Monty continued staring at him for a moment longer, before a smile spread across his broad muzzle. His eyes flashed, and then he did something Ravenpaw could hardly believe.

He laughed.

And laughed.

Ravenpaw watched in complete and utter bewilderment as Monty sat there, cackling like a mad cat for nearly five minutes straight before he was able to right himself, still occasionally letting out a chuckle or two.

"You're hilarious, Ravenpaw. You should see the look on your face!" Monty started, finally seeming to regain his composure. "Even a blind cat could see you're lying about going to hunt. But I'm not going to question it anymore. If you just wanted to be alone, you should have said something."

"Err… Alright. I was afraid you two might follow me." He sat down, still regarding Monty with narrowed eyes.

"Nope, but you've sent Barley into a panic and he probably still thinks you've been eaten by a dog," Monty muttered, his steely blue gaze trained on Ravenpaw. "We need to go find him and let him know you're okay, I _hate_ seeing him worry."

Ravenpaw clenched his teeth, biting back a growl that tried to force it's way out of his throat. Managing a weak smile, he nodded and followed the much larger tom, a steady, burning sensation filling his gut every step of the way.

"Ravenpaw!" At the sound of his name, the black tom turned to see Barley barreling towards him, a frown across his face. "Where- what-?"

Ravenpaw took a step back, unintentionally backing into Monty who seemed very angry. The young tom held back a yelp and took a step forward again, not able to meet Barley's frantic gaze.

"I… went out to think. That's all," he mumbled, scratching at the ground. "I should have told you, sorry."

Barley attempted to catch Ravenpaw's eye, but to no avail. The older tom sighed and instead turned, tail drooping. "C'mon, Monty. We should probably leave Ravenpaw alone." With that, the black-and-white cat padded away, leaving a distraught and sputtering Ravenpaw in his wake.

Monty stepped around Ravenpaw, casting an upset and - jealous? - glance over his shoulder at the green-eyed tom before turning and following Barley.

And just like that, Ravenpaw was alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Ravenpaw could do nothing but watch as the pair moved away, side by side. Just like they used to do. Before Monty. Before his doubts.

And back when he was still in denial.

In denial of his feelings. Feelings that were unexplained. Feelings that warmed him from the inside out and gave him a reason to wake up every morning. Feelings centered around a certain black and white tom.

A tom that was walking away from him.

The feeling of being abandoned - _again_ , no doubt - was indescribable. Soul crushing.

And yet, he couldn't make himself angry with them. Not with Barley, not with Monty.

If anything, he was angry at himself.

Angry for denying his feelings for so long. Angry for running off like some kit who'd lost at a play-fight. Angry for driving Barley away.

He couldn't - _wouldn't_ \- blame him. Not ever.

Crushed by a wave of despair, Ravenpaw let out a soft cry and collapsed onto the grass, covering his face with both paws. He didn't even notice the tears until he felt one wet the fur of his leg.

 _They're probably there right now, sharing a mouse and trading stories_. Ravenpaw thought, desperately trying to stop the flow of tears running down his face. _Just like we used to.._

With a sniffle and long, shuddering sigh, Ravenpaw struggled into a sitting position, wiping away the salty tears with a forepaw.

A quick glance at the sky told him it was nearing nightfall. The sun was hovering just above the horizon, as if waiting for the right moment to dip below it, disappearing until the following day.

Not able to come up with anything better, (not to mention he was exhausted, both physically and emotionally) Ravenpaw staggered over to the nearest tree, curling up at its base. Within a matter of seconds, he had fallen into an uneasy sleep.

 _Ravenkit forced his way through the undergrowth, muttering curses under his breath as he headed off to who knows where. He sure didn't._

 _He had seen his brother, Dustkit, going off to play with some of the apprentices, and when he asked if he could come, Dustkit had sneered, spitting at him and calling him a weak scrap. Hurt, he had fled the camp, not caring where he ended up as long as he was away._

 _A play-fight didn't seem like an outlandish request to Ravenkit. His brother played with nearly everyone he could, even their father, Fuzzypelt at times. But it was different for him it would seem._

 _After pushing through one final bush, Ravenkit finally stopped to rest, turning his head and attempting to groom these accursed burrs out of his fur. He failed._

 _So intent was the little kit on his task that he did not notice the soft rustle of plants, slowly getting closer as whatever it was stalked its prey._

 _A ball of reddish brown fur launched itself at Ravenkit like a tiny missile, barreling into the small tom and knocking him over with a yowl of alarm._

 _Enemy! The thought exploded in Ravenkit's mind as he began to pummel the ball of fur and sinew on top of him with everything he had. But his assault didn't appear to do any damage as whatever it was on top of him rose to its paws above him, casting a looming shadow over Ravenkit._

 _Upon closer inspection, he saw the newcomer was a kit. He looked to be around Ravenkit's age, with a muscular build and a red-brown tabby pelt. Steel blue eyes bored into his own green as the kit let out a victorious meow._

" _Ha! And you forest cats are supposed to be tough!" He sneered, backing off Ravenkit to allow him to sit up. He did just that, glaring daggers at the other kitten._

 _The kit tilted its head to the side. "Wassa matter kitty? Prey got your tongue?" He taunted, a proud gleam in his eyes that doubled well with the smirk on his muzzle._

 _Ravenkit wanted to claw that smirk right off._

" _What are you doing on ThunderClan territory!?" He demanded, his tiny claws unsheathing._

" _Pffffff." The red-brown kit waved a creamy paw dismissively. "It's not your territory if you can't defend it." He spoke with an absolute certainty, as if what he was saying was the undisputed truth._

" _T-That's not true, mouse-brain!" Ravenkit leapt to his paws, ready to claw the ears off of the rude kit who dared say that to his face._

 _Before either could continue the argument, Lionheart padded up to the two. "Ravenkit, who's your little friend..?"_

" _We're not friends!" Both kits mewled at the same time, shooting daggers at the tom._

" _Alright, you're not friends. But what is your name, young one?"_

 _The orange kit cleared his throat before formally declaring, "I'm Monty."_

" _Monty isn't even a real name!" Ravenkit piped up, hissing at the fellow kit as Lionheart tried to quiet the Thunderclan kit._

" _Ravenkit, be polite. He might have come here for help, think about what troubles he might have faced."_

 _Monty snorted. "Nah, I'm exploring MY territory, which you two happen to be trespassing in right now." The smug look on the kit's face was irritating Lionheart almost as much as it was Ravenkit._

" _What makes you think this is your territory? We work very hard to protect our clan, you can't just waltz into the first nice-looking piece of land you see and kick every cat out," Lionheart explained, twitching his tail in agitation._

" _Who says?"_

" _I say, and I'm older than you, so I'm smarter than you too," the golden-furred tom retorted, sitting on his haunches._

" _Who cares? This place is filthy anyways. It's all muddy and full of crowfood," Monty muttered, growling at the two as he spun around and fled._

 _Ravenkit turned to the older tom, an awed look on his face. "That was awesome, Lionheart!"_

 _Lionheart opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't reach the black cat's ears as everything seemed to fade until it was all dark._


End file.
